History in America Essay

Domestic abuse has a long and harmful history in America. Generally it occurs when the man within the family seeks to maintain or create control over his wife or loved one through a variety of motives which in the end, are counterproductive and which usually further the distance between the victim and the perpetrator which had already existed in the beginning and which contributed to the start of the abuse. What is starting to gain some light in recent years is the fact that men sometimes can be the victims of intimate partner abuse, both from homosexual and heterosexual relationships and which can be very damaging to the relationship in both cases. Abuse can be divided into physical, emotional, economic and spiritual. (Cook, 2003 pg. 13) All four can and often times do, place irreversible damage on the victim which if they are to ever recover from the abuse, can often times takes years and sometimes decades to recover. Others will never fully recover and in carrying that hurt, such abuse serves as a severe impediment to the victim ever carrying out successful and intimate relationships with future individuals. This is how intimate partner abuse can be so destructive. A black eye will completely heal in the matter of a couple of weeks at the most. However, a bruised psyche and emotional hurt can often times linger when there seems to be no outside effects on the victim. Only when that victim engages in a intimate relationship with an outside party will such hurt often times come to the surface and can sometimes completely negate the ability of the couple to continue in a successful and loving relationship as the victim may be forever scarred as a result of the previous abuse. Further understanding of the causes of domestic violence and the ways in which it can be dealt with and even prevented is so very important to not only the victim and his or her loved ones, but also their future relationships and also, the perpetrator himself. In doing this, the individual can better identify the reasons why he acts out in such a fashion and in doing so, it becomes that much more likely for the motivation to be identified and then corrected in one way or another. In the end, domestic violence can take on many forms and each case of intimate partner abuse can be the result of a single motivating factor or the combination of various factors and all to varying degrees. Domestic violence will not be disappearing anytime soon from our society but in the recognition of the causes and lasting and damaging effects of such abuse, one may be better educated and prepared to identify it and stop it from ever occurring. In first attempting to understand family violence, one must first define it. There are four major categories which are to be included when talking about family violence and the dangers that it imposes on the victims involved. The first and most obvious is physical violence. This constitutes unwanted physical contact which can also include rape and murder. It can also include indirect physical violence as for example, the throwing of objects from one person or another with the intent of committing injury on the receiver of the object. The second major category of family violence is mental or emotional violence. This constitutes verbal threats of physical violence to the victim, his or her children, animals or the use of possessions of any kind. Verbal threats also do not have an exact time frame associated to it as the threat of physical violence can be impending or is relegated to some inexact time in the future. Facial expressions or threatening body postures can also constitute an example of emotional or mental violence. The third is economic or social abuse. This is where one member of the family controls the other’s money in such a stringent sense that the victim is under strict economic dependence upon the perpetrator to a degree that a sense of empowerment is concluded and usually is the chief motivating factor. Social abuse is when the social life of the victim is dependent completely upon the perpetrator as he or she dictates who, the victim will see and how often. The victim usually suffers from a decrease in the number of friends in comparison to the time when the victim was not under the control of the perpetrator. Lastly, the fourth most common form of family violence or abuse is spiritual abuse. This is the prevention of the victim’s spiritual faith to be practiced in the home. This can also constitute a repeated harassment of the victim’s faith and personal beliefs to the point of ridicule. This also takes a toll on the victim but is one that has not received the same amount of coverage from violence prevention groups and therefore, there is less known as the repetitive of the violence as well as its direct effects upon the victim. All forms of family violence is harmful to the individual but the one that is the most common as well as the most dangerous is physical violence within the home. Often times, this relates to sexual violence. â€Å"Sexual violence is defined as the use of physical force to compel an individual to participate in a sexual act which is against the will of both people involved. † (Cook, 2003 pg. 23) When one of the participating parties is forced into the sexual act, this is an example of sexual violence. Also, the sexual advances upon somebody who is unwilling to refuse the advances, whether that be a result of the victim being intoxicated or his or her mental or physical disability preventing the victim from refusing. This is an example of sexual violence as well. It is a sad fact but one that is well established despite men’s reluctance to report as being victims of both sexual and physical abuse by their partners, it is much more common for men to be the perpetrators than women. One of the impediments to achieving an exact study on this problem is the fact that many men will not report such cases to the police out of fear of embarrassment as well as the police or their loved ones from taking the incident seriously. It is estimated that as many as 70% of all abuses of women towards men goes unreported. (Cook, 2003 pg. 118) This reluctance speaks to the misunderstanding of society as to the importance that the recognition of female abuse towards men. Mental and emotional violence which has a direct and negative effect upon the psychological make up of the individual is one of the four main categories of family violence. One aspect of this is when a threat is made from one person to another which promises bodily harm in the immediate future as well as an indeterminate time in the future. However, this is only one aspect of the psychological violence which occurs most often within the home. Harmful and repeated words of aggression or an attempt to bring down the family member with repeal hostile words or gestures in an attempt to maintain the supposed authority of one individual over another. A threat of a physical injury only constitutes a percentage of the abuse which can fall under the category of psychological abuse. This abuse is basically any intentional verbal assault which is designed to maintain the believed authority of one person over another. â€Å"When it is perceived that the victim is slipping away from the authority of his or her perpetrator, the abuse will often times intensify. † (Jones 2001 pg. 14) This feeling of a loss of power will only increase the abuse so when a victim feels as though the abuse will stop or is coming to a stop, often times, it is simply the calm before the storm as a more intensified version of the abuse is to soon follow. Psychological abuse can also use the children as weapons as the parents are seeking a divorce and the custody of the children is at stake. One parent will use the child to alienate the parent and to make the other feel as though he or she is powerless in their child’s life and that the authority, influence and love which the parent has present in the child’s life, is no longer valid and will soon be completely erased. These are very powerful feelings which often times can evoke a powerful response. In a very sad case in Hazel Crest, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the fall of 2006, John Jacobs, a forty one year old man in the middle of a bitter custody battle with his wife over his only child, an eight year old girl, the man, an avid pilot, piloted his plane along with his daughter inside and purposely, flew his plane into his ex wife’s house, killing both him and his eight year old daughter. The mother was not home at the time of the incident. The suicide note that the man left for his friends, and the testimony of those who knew the family was able to substantiate his story; that his wife was daily threatening him with their daughter and the possibility that she would never see her father again. Before killing both himself and his only daughter, Mr. Jacobs stated in his ransom note: â€Å"Julie, ( his wife) you have done everything in your power to try to take my daughter away from me. That is not right and I feel compelled to do the only thing that I have any power over. For your efforts, I will now take the daughter away from you forever. † (Pearson, 2003 pg. C3) This of course, was not a justified reaction to the parental alimentation which the mother reportedly used as a weapon against his ex husband. Hurt feelings were at a premium and when the child is used as a weapon, parents often times, do not possess all of their rational faculties. This was one very sad and tragic example of what can happen when the emotional abuse of one person over another reaches its zenith and the victim will often times become the aggressor in response as he or she feels completely helpless by the abuse and now seeks to eliminate the gap in power between the victim and the perpetrator which had existed. † (Roberts 2002 pg. 114) Often times in such cases, the courts are dragged in to take sides and in the process, usually will contribute the parental alienation as well. Economic abuse is when one person, usually a spouse, has complete control over the finances of the family and over the other person. This goes beyond the responsible actions of one who seeks to place his or her family on a budget and adheres to the strict restrictions himself, as well as what he imposes upon the other members of the family. Economic abuse occurs when there is an unnecessary and very fiscally stringent limitations placed upon the other’s spending habits while at the same time, not following the advice of his own actions. This is designed, not for the sake of fiscal responsibility but in order to create a dominion over the other in the form of financial power. If one does not have the economic freedom to act in accordance with his or her own financial earning power, then the person who controls that money, also controls the person who earns it. When one speaks of family violence and abuse, economic abuse often times is forgotten as physical abuse monopolizes the conversation. However, over time, economic abuse can be just as effective in the pursuit of one person to create or maintain control over another. This is true because â€Å"at the center of all abuse, whether it be physical, emotional or economic, there exists the desire of one person to create or maintain their control over another person† (Roberts 2002 pg. 200) Now that the various types of abuse has been defined, it now behooves the reader to realize the various facts which are associated with domestic violence. However, one must realize that by its very nature, domestic violence in all of its various forms, will usually remain underreported. However, these are some of the established and published statistics which are available to the public. In 2001, there occurred in the United States, 588,420 incidents of intimate partner violence (FBI 2004 pg. 15) Those incidents cost the United States between three and five billion dollars on medical expenses and an additional 90 million dollars is lost to businesses as the victims of domestic violence are therefore compelled to miss work out of a medical necessity or from the embarrassment that often times is associated with being a victim of intimate partner abuse. In the United States, 35% of violent crimes against women, occurred as a result of their intimate partner’s abuse within the home in 2003. ( FBI 2004 pg. 117) This is a stark comparison to the fact than less than 3$ of violence towards men occur as a result of their intimate partner as well. This latter figure and the fact that our society does not take seriously the occurrence of violence towards males, the reported 3% is only a ballpark estimate and there is no way of knowing exactly what percentage of men are being victimized by their intimate partner within the home. 23% of men of men who live with their homosexual partner, experience physical violence. 3. 2 million men experience â€Å"minor† abuse such as pushing, shoving and slapping from their intimidate partner. Nearly ? a million men are stalked annually and it has been reported that at least 22% of men have experienced some form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse in their lifetime from an intimate partner during their lifetime. (Cook 2003 pg. 118) except for the above mentioned, there seems to be a shortage on the information about men as being the victims of abuse of various kinds. This will continue until the stigma is completely erased and men feel an absence of guilt and embarrassment from being the victims of such crimes. The embarrassment comes from the fact that society perceives men as being stronger than women and therefore, it is always possible to fend off the attacker. In this erroneous assumption, one believes that the only form of abuse is physical. If that were the case, then society would be correct a majority of the time as men usually are stronger than women but this does not exclude a woman from using a weapon of any kind in which to overcome the difference in physical strength. Over 70% of men who were victims of physical abuse by their wives or girlfriends, were used on them, some sort of object which was then used as a weapon. However, often times, abuse does not take the form of physical violence and as it was seen in the case of the Jacobs, emotional abuse can for some people be more damaging than any form of financial or physical abuse. A man who is torn down every day for not fulfilling the expectations of his wife or girlfriend, who is made to feel as though he is not good enough and undeserving of her, who feels inferior in comparison to not only her, but as a man himself, will likely react in a wide array of different ways in which he seeks to regain control of the power which he felt he once had or as he feels emasculated by the entire process, the man now seeks to gain any sort of dominance over the perpetrator and in the process often times, is transformed from the victim to the perpetrator and physical violence will many times follow. Also, when there first is psychological violence, physical violence will likely follow. As it was touched on previously, the causes of domestic violence revolves around the fact that the victim, either intentionally or unintentionally is challenging the power and control of the perpetrator who is committing these various forms of abuse upon the victim. The need to control their victims also surrounds feelings of lose self esteem and the belief in the inadequacy of the person and that through the control of the victim, the gap which exists in their self esteem can somehow be corrected. Also, the more that these efforts fail to fill that â€Å"gap within their self esteem, often times, the abuse will intensify. † (Cook, 2003 pg. 134) However, there are other causes of abuse and often times, it is the childhood environment in which the perpetrator was subject to and which predisposed him or her to abusing a loved one in the future. A man is six times more likely to abuse a loved one if he was abused himself. A man is seven times more likely to abuse his loved one if he came from a broken home where the parents got divorced after a prolonged period of fighting and four times more likely to lack the emotional capacity to abstain from any aspect of the various abuses, if the person came from a broken home in which only one parent had always been present. (Roberts, 2003 pg. 190) Also, if a boy grows up in a family where his father routinely mistreated his wife, then when that boy grows up to become a man, as the sociologists all say that individuals are products of their environment more than then biology, it can sometimes become a certainty that the boy will grow up to repeat what he had spent his life witnessing. † (Jones, 2001 pg. 113) Substance abuse, mental illness and a low self esteem are among some of the various motivating factors which are somewhat to blame for a perpetrator’s likelihood to commit violence towards an intimate partner. What can be agreed upon, is the fact that intimate partner abuse can be the result of one chief motivating factor or is the result of various factors and all to a varying degree. This is what contributes to the complexity of the problem and the fact that spousal abuse, in all of its various forms, will not be eradicated from the social scene any time soon. Another cause of spousal abuse comes from the ability or desire of the man to devalue the woman for a wide range of reasons. This relates to the overwhelming percentage of spousal abuse in which the woman is the victim of the aggressive and hurtful behavior of the man. This is called dehumanization or the reduction of the other person to the importance of nothing at all; less than an object. Something that id disposable and therefore can be replaced and is of little importance. Only when the perpetrator values the victim as not only a person, not only an individual but one that is of a great value and cannot be replaced will the occurrences of abuse either stop of be curtailed. † (Cook, 2003 pg. 210) This also speaks to the gender differences of abuse. This is certainly not always the case but men’s abuse is preceded by physical violence and women are more known for psychological violence. However, an important issue to recognize is the fact that often times, physical abuse so preceded by psychological abuse and as a result, hospital records report a higher percentage of females seeking treatment than men for spousal abuse. Another factor in the high rate of physical abuse of women in comparison to men is the idea that women, had a predisposition towards being the victims of violence. In Erin Pizzey’s controversial book on abuse of women, Prone to Violence, Pizzey who was the founder of a women’s shelter in England stated that some women had a predisposition towards being the victim of abuses since they were seeking out the â€Å"bad boys;† the ones who were known to act out against society and therefore had within them a sense of danger which some of the women would find exciting. In the same book, Pizzey stated that of the first 100 female victims of spousal abuse, 62 were in her opinion, more violent than the men that they were running away from. Her book does not state if she thought that these women were instead made to act out violently because of the experiences that were placed upon them by their abusing spouses. These findings, no doubt, were the cause of a controversial discussion as to what was the cause of spousal abuse. Nowhere did Ms. Pizzey blatantly state that it was the fault of the women for being abused as it is not the fault of women who enter a bar wearing provocative clothing and gets raped. What is similar is that women, according to Ms. Pizzey, possess the power to many times, prevent the abuse from occurring by responsible behavior. This is not to say that women are to blame for the abuse since there does not seem to be any legitimate cause for the abuse of anyone, regardless of their gender, age or relation to the perpetrator. What next must follow is that the law will become involved. This is done reluctantly as the judicial system wishes to stay out of such affairs. This changes however, when one or more of the many crimes which are associated with spousal abuse, are deemed to have occurred or is about to occur. This includes but is not limited to murder, manslaughter, rape, threats to kill, kidnapping, false imprisonment, obstruction of justice and criminal damage as well as harassment and blackmail. When the above mentioned is present with a spousal abuse case, often times it is designed to create or maintain control over another person or the overreaction that the victim had towards the abuse of the perpetrator. In any event, the initial presence of the abuse increases into more than just a private family dispute. Often times, the presence of police and the judicial system often times will compound the problem. In a recent issue of the television show COPS, an individual’s common law wife called the police as she has become the victim of physical abuse by her husband. The cops responded to the call and tried to talk rationally to the man. The presence of the cops enraged the man and as he was being tackled to the floor, yelled that he was going to kill his wife and that he would never forgive her for what SHE had done. The police stated over and over, once the man was subdued, that they had not intention of arresting the man, despite the fact that it was obvious that the man had caused physical harm to both their home and to the woman but she was not going to press charges, the man was not going to be arrested until he decided to assault the police. Not only was the feelings of the man hurt and he was now more enraged by what he perceived to be the incorrect actions of his wife, the court case which followed, only prolonged the negative feelings that the man had towards his wife. Also, both the family disturbance and the court trial that was to follow, occurred in front of their small child. It seems unlikely that all three people will walk away from this event totally unaffected. The negative effects may last for decades to come in all three individuals. This speaks volumes as to the lasting dangers that domestic violence has on those who are involved and those who witness it. In an ideal world, everyone would find that one person that they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together in heavenly bliss. This still occurs but those are the lucky ones. Nearly every one of the millions of couples which have gotten divorced in America, either one or both of the people involved, were victims of one form of abuse or another. This is one of the leading reasons why divorce so severely scars the parents as well as the children involved as such abuse does not disappear quickly. Therefore, it would behoove all those involved, to abstain from such abuse on others, especially their loved ones and in front of their children. This is easier said than done for most people but if those who have a disposition towards either being the victim or perpetrator of physical violence, can recognize both the causes and effects of this most dangerous and harmful abuse, they can therefore be given much more of a chance to avoid its pitfalls and to enjoy the happiness of a mutually loving relationship; free from physical, emotional, economic and spiritual abuse which plagues the happiness of millions of people in this country and around the world. WORKS CITED Cook. P (2003) Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers Jones, A ( 2001 ) More Than Victims: Battered Women, the Syndrome Society, and the Law (Morality and Society Series Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pearson, D. Man and Daughter are Killed in Tragic Plane Crash. Chicago Tribune October 14, 2006 Roberts. A ( 2002) Handbook of Domestic Violence Intervention Strategies: Policies, Programs, and Legal Remedies New York: Oxford University Press Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the U. S. , 2004 (Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the U. S. ) Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington D. C Government Printing Office

Reliable and Trustworthy of the Website and Online

Reliable and Trustworthy of the website and online is when you can trust where you can get your information from on the website. The source is the authority of that page or the biographer where he info comes from. The purpose of this is in tended for the audience and the general readers ,students or the consumers reading levels and graphics on page. Bias is about the information who is responsible for the website content and where the website is produced and publication and recent updates and last updated material.The currency is when the website was produced and last updated. I looked up on the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration wrought the Hoover company records and it was published in 2013 through Dunn and Broadcaster Inc. The source type of report is company profile. The Three Characteristics of a Reliable/Trustworthy Hibiscuses (Includes authority)The author whether it be a person, group, or company is identified and credible. Their association to the sponsor of the si te is stated.Questions like: who is responsible for the editing of information? ; is this author biased towards one view-point? ; what makes this author an expert in their field? ; can help make using a site for research an easier or clearer choice. Purpose (Includes audience and bias)The purpose is the reason for which a site exists. For a site to be reliable, the purpose of the site should not be joke or based solely on opinion. The language should be intellectual and weltering. The site should be authoritative. The suffix . Rug or . Com doesn't really mean the site cane trusted. Looking for an About or an About Us section can produce some of this information. Question like: who was this site created for? And Is the site professional or a personal page? May help locate the purpose off site. Content (Includes currency and accuracy) The substance and material the site is resenting. The information is up-to-date and is as correct and factual as it can be. When was this site created? How is the data verified' chose http:// www. Disassociation. Mom/ for this assignment, an association website for professionals in the spa industry as the name suggests. In evaluating this website I found it a little troublesome deciding whether or not this site was credible. It did feature a blob, and a media tab, but these seem to be written by a sole author as does the content of most of the sites pages. This is a . Com meaning there is an implied commerce that the owner wants to inform you about. There are pages and ages regarding purchasing a membership and this may be why the content seems to stop.The source does want to offer training and education for a price. I wouldn't trust this sites ethos unless I participated in the association as a professional and thereby was privy to unbiased information at large Evaluating Website three characteristics of determine a reliable and trustworthy website are mainly to always look who the source is from, not from the persons opinion but the way it is written and the knowledge that is the basis of the web page. It is good to determine if the website has a reliable source, purpose, and content.In looking for the source you need to find out who produced the information, look for an about us link at the bottom of the page to check the author's credentials and find out what organization is responsible for this website. Find what purpose the information is producing, who the audience is that the website is trying to inform. Last when the website was produced and last updated, when are where the information came from. The website I have chosen to use is news. TN. Gob/node/10163. The reason I chose this website is for the information in the degree I am studying, it has a reliable source with contact information and a wed policies link.The purpose of the website is to allow readers to know that New Breed Logistics is expanding Jobs for their operations division in Memphis Tn, the website gives the impression that it is for readers that are in that profession. The content in this website is not recent, but the author is using accurate information with facts and data all the links are also accurate. Len reading and studying this website I have determined it is a reliable and trustworthy site, with all the links up to date and not broken. The author used true facts and was able to back up their information in this website.

A Visit to the Animal Kingdom in Florida Essay Example for Free

A Visit to the Animal Kingdom in Florida Essay ? English Reflective Essay Florida is portrayed as a fantasy land where Mickey Mouse greets you around every corner and where Cinderella actually lives, where days go by without a single drop of rain and the sky is consistently perfectly blue. However this was the farthest thing from my mind as I sat in an immense carbon-emmiting monster whose air conditioning has spluttered and died and while the heavens poured the air was so thick and mucky that flies were sticking to the windshield as we drove, only to be washed away by the drowning rain. As this was happening, my dad who was yet to figure out his left from his right had the near-miracle task of finding our hotel. Which was almost impossible because visibility was limited to about a yard and that requires great concentration, which was hard to find after the fiasco at the airport†¦. Day 2 To my great excitement, â€Å"Animal Kingdom† was our first theme park, rather disappointing though what was hyped up to be a splendour of animal based excitement turned out to be a zoo with the odd thrill. However my memory of the first day was largely marred by Dad; with his new and shiny American muscle car; forgot that when all four doors were shut the lock system was activated. All hell broke lose! With my mum muttering and rambling nonchalantly and quietly with the odd distinguishable, â€Å"God.. men† and my dad, the man of the household and the â€Å"decisive† being, who was spouting all sorts of obscenities and was spanking the car,lightly so no damage was done but gave the impression that somehow it was the cars fault, it was up to me (seeming the only level headed member of the family) to aqcuire the basic survival needs such as food and water. With out park tickets being used for the day there was no way of buying fresh water. Giving up on the task of survival and surrending to the fate of the great over-powering Florida sunshine that was gobbling up every ounce of liquid, I went to a little ledge at the very far side of the car park and with ironic timing the edge of my eye caught sight of a little pool. And just like an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert the temptation to drink from this minor miracle was extreme. As I squatted and stared while heavily drooling with my mouth arid there was a conflict of conscience apparent in my head. The good side was reciting the well known fact that one of the locals had stated, â€Å"In every pool of water in Florida there is an alligator. † The other â€Å"evil† side accompanied by my sailva and most major organs, was willing to tempt fate yet my good conscience claimed noble victory and I was left to dessicate. And looking back on it, it was probably a wise decision, however the journey back to the apartment was like a front row seat between Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson. A Visit to the Animal Kingdom in Florida. (2018, Oct 27).

Social media effects on social & personal behaviors Research Paper

Social media effects on social & personal behaviors - Research Paper Example Increased use of social media in the education will improve students’ social and personal behaviors. Social media is the new mode of communication as well as education. Students of all ages and levels of education have been deeply engrossed with using the different social media to carry out research on school assignments and to communicate with their fellow classmates and their professors. The professors and tutors are also using the platforms to contact their students as far as educational matters are concerned. The continued use of the social media has led to more positive changes in the social and personal behaviors of the students than the negative ones and the research findings indicates that more positive effects can influence the use of social media. It is important to look into more detail about these positive and negative effects of social media use in education because its use is on the increase. Addressing these issues will enable those in the educational field to g et tips on how to engage their students more efficiently and effectively, as well as to assist students to interact and to enhance their classroom skills. Positive effects will be collaborative interaction, communicate with an instructors and peers, and create positive environment in school, whereas the negative effects will include cyber-bullying, stalking, and creating a negative environment in education.

Intext Global Expansion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words - 1

Intext Global Expansion - Research Paper Example Having carried out a proper market research, I have concluded that we need to expand the business to three nations namely, China, India, and South Africa as a means of expanding our market scope, profitability, and brand globally. Intext Computers is a fast growing company in the technology industry, and the introduction of the software products is indeed a big boost to the organization. Blending the hardware and software aspects of a computer has increased our sales significantly in the past one year through an increase in customer base. Such an observation is indeed an indication showing that with proper strategies and effective marketing, Intext Computers could make it big in the global markets. From the preliminary research on the three nations namely, China, India, and South Africa, it is evident that Intext Computers stands a better chance of success by putting up appropriate and effective measures towards the realization of the company’s goals and objectives. Despite the positive attributes of doing business in another country, there are equally obstacles that limit the success of companies in other nations. One of the determinant factors towards the success or failure of a business in another country is culture, which refers to the particular beliefs, practices, and behaviours of a particular group of individuals within a particular society that distinguishes them from other societies1. Chinas economy is fast growing, and as such, provides a better market opportunity for market success. Despite the view of culture as an obstacle to successful business in China, on the contrary, culture remains a factor that if used appropriately, could yield sufficient results. U nder social customs, China’ culture embeds on building relationships, which usually start with shaking of hands and nodding of the head and fostered by status, and such work to benefits a business as good business involves the building of strong relationships with customers2. Chinese have strong family ties and for business, once you capture a customer, it is easy to get more especially from the strong family ties.  

Research philosophies and approaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research philosophies and approaches - Essay Example Aesthetics pertain to what man considers beautiful or appealing. As art, architecture is also a form of expression executed in a manner considered appealing or beautiful. In constructing a structure, however, man uses inputs as well as produces waste. The use of inputs and wastes both affect man’s existence and in sustaining his way of life. Thus, the professional architect has to be responsible not only for his final product but also with the way he or she is able to produce his own product. It follows that the relevant philosophies that a professional architect should study must cover the following: man’s philosophies for existence and living that are basic for architectural designs the philosophies related to aesthetics and art as the bases for architectural designs that can be considered as aesthetically beautiful or artistic the relevant philosophies or ethics that the professional architect can adopt, and the philosophies relevant for professional architectural pr actice. Hence, the foregoing are some of the general areas in philosophy research that are most relevant for a professional architect or someone who seeks to become a professional architect. In developing research methods for any research, some of the more relevant philosophical perspectives are logical positivism, verstehen, and hermeutics. II. Man’s Philosophy for Living Man’s philosophy for living is varied. For example, a man’s philosophy for living may be simply to enjoy life and get the best pleasures from life. The situation of his or her fellow human being does not disturb him because the world is a jungle where the fittest rule and survives. He or she does not care for his or her fellow human being because he or she does not feel any sense of responsibility for another person. The need for architectural designs from this type of a person is simple: what appeals to him or her without regard to the possible effects of a design may have on resource use and wastes. On other hand, another philosophy of living can be altruistic or oriented to be of service to others. This can be reflected in how basic architectural decisions are made. For instance, an altruistic design may call for ensuring that architectural designs are useable by the disabled like the limping or lame, the blind, the aged, or those who are weak. The architectural designs of buildings, streets, and houses may be such that spaces are created for the disabled or for an aging and younger population. Another philosophy of living, however, may call for the use of more obviously expensive materials associated with wealth and power. This type of architectural clients may require, for example, floors or walls that are lined with gold or precious stones. They may require a Jacuzzi right in their rooms or a pool in many parts of their house with a specification that they are installed in an obvious way and that neighbors are made aware that they have these. The need for architect ural designs is not only for the sake of living and comfort but, more importantly, for conspicuous consumption. Conspicuous consumption may or may not be psychological but probably it is not only philosophical. As a philosophy for living, conspicuous consumption may result from a need to have a better standing in society. The standing can lead to better social influence, power, and esteem by the other members of society. Finally, another philosop

Euro Mosaic Segmentation Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Euro Mosaic Segmentation Method - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that today’s world market of products is experiencing high competition not only by more competitors but also varieties in consumer’s demands and needs. To ease marketers for fulfilling the demands of customers, different consumers are segmented into different bases. â€Å"Global market segmentation is the process of identifying specific segments, whether they be country groups or individual customer groups, of potential customers with homogeneous attributes who are likely to exhibit similar behavior†. Geodemographic classifications put a step towards consumer segmentation. The more difficult markets to assess are those in which there appears to be a discrepancy between the long- and short-term attractiveness. Euro Mosaic claims to be the first pan-European segmentation system allows the classification of 500 million consumers across the European Union on the basis of the types of the neighborhood in which they live. It focuses on many dimensions for segmentation of a product like Elite suburbs, average areas, luxury flats, low-income inner-city, high-rise social housing, industrial communities, dynamic families, low-income families, rural agricultural and vacation retirement. In European Geodemographics Conference 1st April 2009, Andy Bell of Eurodirect told about the changing political, economic and cultural faces of Europe and the opportunities these are bringing for global businesses.... Companies can now access a variety of public datasets (censuses and social surveys for example) as well as market research and list broking resources, many of which are moving east into the wider Europe. Countries in Europe have widely differing per capita incomes and in creating a European segmentation it is important to capture both absolute and relative differences between areas – to avoid, for example, all areas of the poorest countries being classified into the poorest segment. Also, pictorial representations of segments, whilst popular in national systems, can be confusing or misleading if applied on a pan-European basis. (Peter Furness, 2009) Euro Mosaic Segmentation is frequently used in many countries for different product fields. A well-established system which overcomes most of the difficulties and encompasses both geodemographic and behavioral lifestyle factors is the CCN ACORN/MOSAIC system. The system was originally pioneered in the UK market and extended in resp onse to an increasing number of requests from multinational clients, looking for a common and consistent European-based consumer targeting system (MOSAIC Today, 1993). Use of MOSAIC segmentation method is very popular in industries. This gives many advantages to the businesses, companies, product fields and world market of goods and services. MOSAIC segmentation method develops the customer profiles and databases on different bases. This provides many uses in retailing and trade business. "A major concern to the retail location analyst is that, given the assertive marketing of such companies, it is more difficult to evaluate critically the bases and appropriateness of the packages offered."

Amistad (film) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Amistad (film) - Movie Review Example Unable to communicate in English, they await certain death for the offence of killing their captors. But the legal point of the case is highly interesting. The Abolitionist lawyer argues that they are not slaves at all, but the free citizens of another country. The case reaches out to Supreme Court where John Quincy Adams makes a brilliant argument for their release. Earlier, they are arrested by the American Navy. They are thrown into a dungeon and live in inhuman conditions, pending trial. The arrest of the slaves and seizure of the ship creates a big political storm, the issue reaches up to the President of the United States, Martin Van Buren (Nigel Hawthorne) The legality of the issue, having international ramifications, is highly complicated. The Africans are charged with insurrection on the high seas. Abolitionists work overtime trying to solve the case that takes complicated twists and turns. Besides the legalities of the issue, communication is a great problem, as no one is able to understand a word from the side of the African slaves. The problem of superstitious beliefs also intervenes. Here is Yamba, Cinque’s rival for power amongst the Africans, a convert to Christianity, and he has taken a novel stand on the impending death of slaves—that execution will lead them to a pleasant afterlife! In the meantime, the death of a young African provokes a strong protest that threatens to blow into a prison riot and rebellion. The high legal drama in the court begins with the help of the linguistic abilities of Covery, who is specially recruited for the task. Cinque is able to make a heart-rending presentation about his capture and the conditions of the slaves in general and especially the cruelties they suffered in the ship. This has been done through a series of flashbacks in the movie. Throughout the Middle Passage in the ship, rapes, tortures, random executions are carried out by the crew. He recalls how 50 people are deliberately pushed into the

Lenore Walker - Marital and Sexual Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lenore Walker - Marital and Sexual Abuse - Essay Example More importantly, her several theories and understandings of battery have altered the way that attorneys and criminal prosecutors look at battery and the abuse of women, which has led to new laws and regulations to assist women in need. This has been combined with a challenge to society to begin to change the way that women in the home and in contemporary culture are looked at. Walker has gained the title of being the mother of battered women because of her significant contributions and developments in the field of psychology, specifically which intertwine with the concepts of abuse. Walker began her research in psychology toward women in the 1970s, at which time she made some of the most significant contributions to the effects battery has on women. Walker began to study the field of psychology soon after graduating high school. She earned her Bachelor’s in 1962 from CUNY’s Hunter College, followed by a Master’s in 1967. In 1972, she earned a doctorate in psychology from Rutgers, New Jersey. She has held a practice for over 30 years and is licensed in Colorado, New Jersey and Florida. Her prestige in the field of battered women has earned her the title of Diplomat in Clinical and Family Psychology. To this date, Walker focuses on teaching psychology at Nova Southeastern University, specifically with a focus on forensic psychology. She also coordinates with several court jurisdictions and areas in Florida, specifically to help treat women in battered situations. Walker is a part of a consulting group that works to change regulations toward women in the courtroom. She is also the director of the Domestic Violence Institute, which is designed to change the understanding of abuse between women and children on an international level. The main theories that Walker developed began with her studies for her doctorate and continued with her first field studies after graduation

UK monetary policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK monetary policy - Essay Example United Kingdom has been working hard to recover from recession and support growth over the last few years. The policy mix has been of help in rebalancing the United Kingdom economy from recession toward external demand and investment. The government of United Kingdom has been implementing a strong fiscal consolidation with the aim of reducing budgetary risks. This paper focuses on the UK recession and the role played by the impact of the monetary policy in economic recovery. The United Kingdom has the chance to reduce the interest rates that have been set by the central bank now that the inflation seems to be well anchored (UK Parliament 2012). This is meant to create room for money to be injected into the economy. Consumer and business confidence in the United Kingdom remains weak even after the effort to rebalance the economy in the UK. The economic recovery has been supported by an emphasis on strengthening the bank balance sheet (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). This has been done though building capital as opposed to reducing the assets (Allen 2012). The government of United Kingdom has adopted measures to ease credit acquisition (Holley 2012). The government is keen in eliminating constraints for both small and medium sized households and enterprises. The government has gone further to boost credit for infrastructure, business and housing (Duthel 2011). The reluctance to clear the government deficits and debts this year is understandable given the sluggish rate of growth of the United Kingdom economy (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). Restraining the public employee wages has been a move by the government to lessen the effect of reducing deficits and debts to create the process conducive for economic growth (Allen 2012). The government intends to have space for added spending on infrastructure. Additional monetary stimulus should be considered if growth would not get the intended momentum. The government should also consider easing credit in that case (UK Parliament 2012) . Over the last few years, the rebuilding of banks capital has been taking place in the United Kingdom. This has been of much help given the amount of risks arising from the euro zone economic crunch and the consequent volatile financial market. The government of United Kingdom has embarked on raising banks capital (Duthel 2011). The government also advocated for a limitation in bonus payouts and dividends. This is contrary to selling assets. The move has paid off through a substantial economic recovery. According to international monetary fund, high level and quality supervision is vital for the growth of economy and establishment of the incoming government structure that is supposed to oversee the financial system of the United Kingdom. The government has enhanced supervision of financial institutions that are considered crucial for economic recovery (Holley 2012). United Kingdom has embarked on a robust regulation and development policies for raising capital and financial oversig ht duties (IME 2012). The recent United Kingdom economic crisis has posed extreme difficulties to the economic policies. Growth is considered anemic after deep recession (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). The government of the United Kingdom remains extremely concerned about fiscal sustainability. The government is faced by a fast increasing public debt and large deficits compared to the ratio of gross domestic products (GDP)

World Change Essay Example for Free

World Change Essay In my discussion I will share two important definitions of world changer and include challenges that are related to health and health care needs, with the issues that pertain to nursing. World changer can have different meanings to many different people. The one definition that I related to personally was actually a quote from President Abraham Lincoln â€Å" By serving others and putting others’ needs before oneself, only then can anyone truly impact the world with change. † Abraham Lincoln (World- Changers for Resources. (2008).. he other important definition of world changer began in 1999 for my school, Indiana Wesleyan College, as a new initiative both to students and faculty and is now included in our mission statement as a commitment to changing the world by developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership. (Indiana Wesleyan University, 1999). World issues effect the improving of global health with multiple challenges including health problems of society. In 2003 a request for these challenges were gathered and included in a working paper in the Journal of Nursing. Here is the list of identified challenges that was sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Cancer Institute (http:/www. grandchallengesgh. org/).. Suggestions for improving education for women, addressing problems in the social environment focusing on reducing poverty to decrease illness/diseases. Make the world safer, the level of mortality continues to increase, including maternal and infant mortality, with premature deaths being the leading cause of death of newborns. Improve adolescent mental health by providing education including sexually identity which can be a cause for suicide, which is the third leading cause of death. (Hegyvary, 2004). Prevent spread of infectious diseases; manage physical and mental illnesses, and link health system and social processes. Global health can improve if everyone would take responsibility to participate in understanding health care, make simple life style changes, and be committed to meeting the basic needs of others. Dickenson-Hazard, 2004) The challenges that pertain to nurses include the knowledge nurses need, the way they learn, the type of facilities and the conditions of work environments. The most significant contributions in the health care for nurses is to provide holistic and humane care. Personal plan to be a world changer includes gaining growth spiritually, developing leadership through knowledge and skill, and to continue to place others needs above mine.

What Made Coca Cola Achieve Superior Performance

What Made Coca Cola Achieve Superior Performance Coca Cola has been operating in the industry since 1886 and is continue leading industry at this date. As the worlds largest beverage company today, Coca Cola has business operation to more than 200 countries found in Eurasia, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Pacific, marketing a portfolio of 500 brands and 3300 beverage products. In 2009, Coca Cola ranked 26th in the BW 50 and bagged the recognition having the best brand name by the Interbrand. Commenter of the BW 50 especially mentioned that Coca Cola has triumphed over difficult times because of its innovative spirit. In particular, the companys innovative strategy involves preserving the companys values that made Coca cola remarkable and that is by taking its brand image of wholesomeness and family and friends and applying the values in a new category. Moreover, studies have shown that companies that invested in innovations during recessions have recorded the biggest jump in profits. The innovative spirit of Coca Cola is one of the key factors that contributed for the companys superior performance, that is, its innovation strategy gave the company the competitive advantage over its competitors. A competitive advantage is something that provides incremental value when compared to other offerings, wherein value is the perception of how much the buyer benefit ted beyond what was being paid in the product. In order to create value, the four Ps of marketing (that constitute the marketing mix) product, price, place, promotion have to be observed and practiced effectively. Dwyer and Tanner (2006) assert that innovation can be in the form of innovative marketing strategy, innovative manufacturing processes or innovative corporate structure. Also, companies that display the innovative spirit were found to have a corporate culture that supported innovation. Such a culture is dominated by a desire for the company to grow, to improve and to take advantage of all possible opportunities. That is, innovative companies tend to focus on opportunity risk (Dwyer Tanner 2006). With regards to Coca Colas strategy, the innovation comes in the form of innovative marketing strategy embracing the values that made it famous. Moreover, studies have consistently shown that key factors contribute to the likelihood of success of a company. One factor is vision, or the degree to which the development team shares a vision of what the new development project is supposed to accomplish. Another factor is a structured new product development process. Finally, having a long term perspective is another important characteristic. In many ways, these factors may be characteristics of an innovative culture. As Peter Drucker (1985) wrote, When all is said and done, what innovation requires is hard, focused, purposeful work. The literature also points five key components of success; namely close ties to well-defined market that lead to a product advantage; highly integrated and market-oriented company; competitive advantages in technology and production, strong marketing proficiency, and strong financial support. First, if the company has close ties to well-defined market, then it is able to anticipate customer needs, creating a product advantage. In this case, product advantage is the dominant factor in success (Cooper and Kleinschmidt 1987). Second, there must be close coordination between all who participate in the new product development process. A market-oriented company selects its targets more wisely and offers a product mix better matched to customer preferences. Third, the company must have competitive advantage technology and production capability, with which the new product is a good fit. These first three factors should result in a product or service that is unique and delivers superior benefits. The fourth element is that the company must have a strong marketing proficiencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The last but essential component is that the company must have strong financial support for its product launch and must take advantage of the marketing proficiencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦These factors were identified in studies involving tangible products and services. In addition, it helps to choose a market with a high growth rate (Dwyer and Tanner 2006). Coca Colas focus on beverage creation and marketing enables the company to understand and meet the diverse and ever-changing beverage needs and desires of the consumers from all over the globe. The magnitude of Coca Colas advertising and distribution system enabled the company to easily market new non-alcoholic drinks as well as mineral water. Because of this, despite continuously changing consumer taste and preference, Coca Cola maintained its competitive advantage and lions share in the industry. Moreover, Coca Cola marketing campaigns such as Its the Real Thing, The Pause the Refreshes, Things Go Better with Coke and the latest Happiness have further enticed more consumers to try the companys products. In effect of the strong marketing proficiency, the company has become a global selling company with about 1.6 billion servings of products being consumed every day. Coca cola growth strategy in three ways/directions during 1996 olympic games: Emotional branding,the main idea was to let consumers experience the experience instead of product. Main focus was made on recognition of worlds diversity and individuality, and makes connection brands core ingredient. Company made it obvious to consumers that it recognizes its global status. Artworks: Coca cola bottles were used as canvas by 53 artists from different countries to express their spirit, cultural values, customs and traditions. Some of the artworks were so successful that were put on permanent display at theWorld of coca cola in las vegas. Just In Time advertising: during the Olympic games company ran 88 different TV commercials for 17 days. Each commercial was devoted to a particular theme of the Games and was never repeated. This is a very good example of global advertising campaign, as the advertisments ran simultaneously in 135 countries. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Another way Coca-Cola tackled this strategy was through art. With Coca-Cola bottles as the canvas, artists from 53 different countries created works of art using local materials while capturing the spirit of their native traditions and cultures. Among the works, a six-foot-tall replica of Stonehenge from England and a ten-foot bottle made of rattan, wood and grass from the Philippines. The artwork received amazing reviews as many of the bottles went on world tour. Some of the bottles have even been put on permanent display at the sWorld of Coca-Cola in Las Vegas to demonstrate the global power of the Coca-Cola Company that parallels with the international Olympic Gamesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The third way the company embarked upon this global growth strategy was with Just In Time advertising. Coke screened 88 separate television commercials, and over the 17 days of the Olympic Games, none of them was repeated. Each spot was also carefully bought to target that particular progra ms specific audience. The 17 commercials, one for each day of the Games, reflected the theme of the day and the latest Olympic news to the 135 countries the advertisement ran. These three global growth strategies proved very successful for Coca-Cola. (http://www.unc.edu/~jdee/creativestrategy.html) Further, using the social media, Coca Cola have invested on archives that collect advertising as well as marketing materials. The archives document the crossing point between the companys products and its consumers. It contains advertising and marketing materials from the newspapers, magazines, radio, advertisements and commercials and also photo collection that depicts international and domestic distribution of Coca Colas products. Blogs are then created that promotes the company with focus on heritage and pop culture. Through this resource, the company is able to get new information from the followers of social media. In this way, the company is learning new ideas helpful for future strategies. An example of this is the Fan-based strategy of Coca Cola, as cited from a literature: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Coca-Cola used the fan-based strategy in an attempt to differentiate itself from traditional Olympic advertising, which used athletes. The For the Fans campaign went into action with a series of ads featuring actual photographs of fans drinking Coke at Olympic Games from 1928 onward. The first two commercials aired during the week of March 6, 1996 and featured black and white photos from previous Olympics showing fans in Switzerland holding Coca-Cola bottles. In the next step, Coke focused on a series of ads highlighting real life stories about how Coke has made a difference to young aspiring athletes. Finally, for the third step, Coke used commercials, print ads, and posters that addressed whether the enthusiasm of the fans makes a real difference to the outcome of the sporting event. The answer was resoundingly yes. (http://www.unc.edu/~jdee/creativestrategy.html) According to Dwyer and Tanner (2006) learning is when we connect new information to what we already know. Learning organization is one that consistently creates and refines its capabilities by connecting new information and skills to known and remembers requisite for future success. Organizational learning is the process of developing new knowledge that has the potential to influence behavior. Learning facilitates behavior change that leads to better performance. Many executive have said that the only truly sustainable competitive advantage is to be able to learn faster than competition, a contention supported by research. Moreover, the companys competitive advantages are explored in the following: buyer bargaining power, supplier bargaining power, barriers to entry, intensity of competition and threat of substitute. Among the customers of Coca Cola, the restaurants have the largest bargaining power. Coca Cola earns the largest profit margins from the large purchase volume made by authorized bottlers on its concentrates, in which the bottled beverages are then passed on the customers (restaurant chains). The overall bargaining powers of the buyers have given Coca Cola an average of 28% operating margin. In terms of raw materials, Coca Cola established a good bargaining power with its suppliers. The companys financial situation, e.g., high and stable gross profit margin of 65% indicates that there is low risk for the bargaining power of the suppliers to affect Coca Colas profitability. Also, high earning per capita of the companys employees reveals that the company has relatively low sensitivity to labor costs changes. The company has established exceptional network of distribution system throughout the globe that enables the company to enjoy economies of scale, and hence a remarkable competitive advantage that created barriers for new entrants to participate in the industry. Also, the companys strong brand and large scale advertising provided the company a barrier to competition. Further, the companys strong brands have reduced competition in the consumer staple sector. Disruptive Innovation Theory: Among the companies providing goods and services to consumers around the globe, only 10% are able to maintain and sustain a level of growth that is acceptable for the shareholders, while the rest of the 90% are not able to. Though these 90% have been applying the best strategies to make the business survive like investments on technological innovations, mindful of healthy competition and customers feedback, these efforts are not enough. The requirements of long-term sustainable success not only include the right normal strategies but also disruptive strategies in innovation. The core principle of disruptive innovation theory is that the innovation made by companies tends to have a faster pace that the changes in the customers lives. Hence, to maintain growth, a company must not only create innovations but also must be able to retain its core offerings and should always continue to practice sustainable innovation In the case of Coca Cola, though the company has been operating for quite a long time already, and can actually be considered as a very old company in the industry, it continues to hold a large share in the industry and even expand its market. The reason is that though Coca Cola adapts innovations, it is still able to embrace the values that made Coca Cola remarkable in the first place. In particular, the company preserved its brand image of wholesomeness and family and friends and continuously applying the brand image to new categories. Innovation Index One indicator that Coca Cola engages in innovations is the Innovation Index published by the UTEK Corporation. The latest Strategos/wRatings Innovation Index result of the UTEK Corporation confirms that Coca Cola continues to be innovative, with index score of 78.04 and leads the ranking of innovation performance of food and beverage companies. The SW Innovation Index is based on end-consumers feedbacks on the tangible benefits that they have obtained for the companies products. Corporate Sustainability In terms of corporate sustainability, Coca Cola initiated its Commitment 2020 plan. The plan outlines Coca Colas goals for the next 10 years which include minimization of water usage, reduction of carbon footprint by 15%, retrieval of 100% of the packaging and increase campaign on recycling. The company also plans to use local resources and pledge to eliminate potent greenhouse gases called HFCs (or hydroflourocarbons) by 2015. Literature views Corporate sustainability as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a new and evolving corporate management paradigm. The term paradigm is used deliberately, in that corporate sustainability is an alternative to the traditional growth and profit-maximization modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it recognizes that corporate growth and profitability are important and re requires the company to practice the goals of the society, especially those relating to sustainable development like economic development, protection of the environment, social justice, and equityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the concept borrows elements from four more established concepts: sustainable development; corporate social responsibility; stakeholder theory; corporate accountability theory. ..Sustainable development need for economic growth with environmental protection and social equity to meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ corporate social responsibility deals with the role of business in society wit h the premise that corporate managers have an ethical obligation to consider and address the needs of society, not just to act solely in the interests of the shareholders or their own self-interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Stakeholder theory asserts that the stronger the companys relationships are with other external parties, the easier it will be to meet your corporate business objectives; the worse your relationships, the harder it will be. Strong relationships with stakeholders are those based on trust, respect, and cooperationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is corporate accountability is the legal or ethical responsibility to provide an account or reckoning of the actions for which the company is held responsible (www.sunstar.com.ph). The 2020 Vision of Coca Cola maintains that the company will double its global servings per day to 3 billion from 1.6 billion and will double system revenue and improve margins. If this is pulled-off as planned, along with their dividend payout and stock buybacks, it will create solid shareholder returns over a 10 year period. In 2009, Coca Cola publicized its new plastic bottle made partially from plants. The PlantBottle is a fully recyclable bottle and is made from a combination of petroleum-based materials and plant-based materials. In this instance, Coca Cola have made an innovative product. Quoting from the companys website: The Coca-Cola Company the first company to introduce a beverage bottle made with recycled plastic has been focused on ensuring the sustainability of its packaging for decades. It has put resources behind creating packaging that is recyclable and investing in recycling infrastructure to ensure that its packages are collected, recycled, and re-used. Earlier this year, the Company opened the worlds largest plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. The plant will produce approximately 100 million pounds of recycled PET plastic for reuse each year the equivalent of nearly 2 billion 20-ounce Coca-Cola bottles. These efforts are all focused on helping close the loop on packaging use and produce truly sustainable packages for consumers (www.thecoca-colacompany.com.). Financial Performance As one of the well-known companies worldwide, Coca Cola currently is trading at a reasonable value. At the end of 2009, the company has published an 8.7 revenue growth, earning growth of 11%, and cash flow growth of 11%. The average annual dividend of the company is $1.76 but entering 2010, the dividend yields 3.26% with a 3-year dividend growth of 10%. Coca Cola showed remarkable performance over the decades. The companys financial performances over the years are reflected in the table below: 2009 2008 2007 2006 Revenue Growth $B 30.99 31.994 28.857 24.088 Earnings Growth $B 6.906 5.807 5.981 5.080 Cash Flow Growth $B 8.186 7.571 7.150 5.957 Dividend Growth Dividend $ 1.64 1.52 1.36 1.24 Yield % 3.28 3.04 2.5 2.8 The financial health of the company is outstanding. Coca Colas net profit margin is at 22% at the end of 2009, which is higher as compared to its competitors like PepsiCo (with only 14% net profit margin). Analysts and investors also considered the cash flow as the life blood of any business. Cash flow is used as a core indicator of a firms financial health and viability and it is considered as a good gauge to quickly judge a firms financial performance. As an indicator, a negative cash flow, on one hand, indicates that the firm is financially troubled. No firm can keep on operating if cash flow is negative. On the other hand, positive cash flow, when cash is increasing, indicates that the firm is financially healthy (at least for the period) and can be able to pay its bills. In relation to this, Coca Colas cash flow exhibits a growth of 11%, from $7.571 billion in 1998 to $8.186 billion in 1999. In terms of dividend growth, the company has recorded increases in dividends for years in a row that made Coca Cola to be among the top in the list of dividend aristocrat. The current companys stock yields 3.28%. The companys dividend has also increased by 7.3%. Moreover, the companys payout ratio is currently at 56%. Moreover, Coca Cola has a long-term debt-equity ratio of 0.20 while the current debt-equity ratio is 1.3 So, in terms of financial conditions, Coca Cola is financially healthy demonstrating a fairly good dividend growth. The company has the highest profit margins in the food and beverage industry, diversified brands, a strong brand, extreme international exposure, and a solid growth. The companys price-earning ratio is also playing a little above 18, which is not bad. Further, the company has concrete revenue, earnings, and cash flow growth. The stock offers an above average dividend yield, and has been diligently increasing dividends over the past 48 years. This is the type of company that just works, period. You dont need billions of dollars in reinvested research and development to sell more Coke, and the products dont get replaced overnight. The Return Driven Strategic Framework The Return Strategy Model is based on three dimensions of performance namely superior and sustainable return on investment, growth while maintaining superior return on investment, and superior total shareholder return. The model serves as the fundamentals of business strategies. It is the result of combining extensive research and real world applications of great corporate performances over ten years or more. The strategy examines the commonalities in business strategies that have resulted to superior performance. Using the Return Driven Strategic framework in evaluating Coca Colas performance, the following points are highlighted so as to show that the company has indeed demonstrated superior performance. First, the company continuously innovate its offerings to better satisfy the needs of its customers, in which innovate is defined as changing the companys product to better satisfy the needs of the targeted consumers. This is done through re-examination of their offerings, modification of the existing ones and development of new products that are perceived to better satisfy the unmet needs of the customers. Coca Cola continuously change its offerings since the company believes that by doing so, they are creating more value for the customers with the anticipated superior return on investment from the innovation. The value is of creating an intellectual and emotional connection between the consumers and the companys offerings. Another driving factor for Coca Colas superior performance is its strong commitment to and discipline for making shareholder value by focusing on return on invested capital. The company maintains goals, incentives and performance measures that are definitely in line with a sustainable return on investment. The Coca-Cola has been profiled as a company that has used Economic Value Added to create shareholder value. In fact, Cokes value-creating business strategies have increased shareholder value. Moreover, Coca Cola have accomplished superior returns as well as growth without violating any ethical parameters of the community where its businesses are operating. CONCLUSION In todays global, intensively interconnected business environment, a major challenge faced by business organizations is how to maximize shareholder value and sustain growth, while at the same time creating economic value for all. For the leading Coca Cola Company the attainment of superior performance is a tough endeavor and it requires combinations of strategies. The remarkable strategy of Coca Cola is its innovation strategy that enables the almost 100 year old business excels and grows despite tough market pressures.

Alton Towers Marketing Post Accident

Alton Towers Marketing Post Accident ALTON TOWERS REPORT Alton Towers has been heavily suffering from the bad reputation of the accident happened on 2nd June 2015 which made two young women on the Smiler ride suffered leg amputations and others suffered severe injuries when their carriage collided with a stationary carriage on the same track (Health and Safety Executive, 2016) . The company has lost a lot of money and their market value because of this incident: According to Peter Campbell for The Daily Mail (Alton Towers crash wipes  £100 million from owners value as it looks set to lose millions in lost bookings, 2015), Alton tower has wiped almost  £100 million from its value by this weeks crash and the company is set to lose millions in lost bookings. The companys market value fell by  £160million but it has since recovered some of the losses. Alton Towers saw a significant fall in visitor numbers after the accident, which resulted in the park shutting for four days. This means it makes  £464,000 a day on average even it will be higher because it is summer. It is reported that Alton towers lost almost  £1million fees in 2 of the days that the park closed. Moreover, many analysts and experts have also warned that people may lose their confidence in the firm could by the incident, leading to fewer people booking tickets in following seasons. Peter Campbell also mentioned that There are also worries that it could knock appetite for theme park visits, which is crucial for Merlin as attractions including Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures make up a significant part of its business (Alton Towers crash wipes  £100 million from owners value as it looks set to lose millions in lost bookings, 2015). The BBC News also reported the financial result to the owner that the sales at the groups resort theme parks division, which includes Alton Towers, fell 12.4% (Merlin see profits rise despite Alton Towers accident, 2016) Lack of using social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) Social media networks are one of the most effective and easiest ways to get to people all around the world. The number of social media networks users in the UK is extremely high with 32 million Facebook users, 15 million people using Twitter, 14 million people having an Instagram account and more users of other social networks. This is a big channel to the market and customers that Alton Towers has not invested and developed well enough to take the advantages. The Facebook fan page of Alton Tower has almost 1,4 million followers, especially only 5,5 thousand people follow Alton Towers Theme Park fan page, which is very low. As a result, Alton Towers has missed a lot of opportunities to widen the companys image and brand through social networks. Lack of promotion Because Alton Towers theme park is only open for part of the year, it is difficult for them to carry out different events and promotions. In 2016, Alton Towers theme park was open from 29th March to 6th November, which means mostly summertime. The ticket price is also high and people find it really expensive to attend at peak times. Moreover, Alton Towers theme park is located in a fairly rural location which may cause people difficulties to get there. Poor service There have been a number of complaints from customers who had bad experiences at Alton Towers and Alton towers theme park on many reliable websites like tripadviser.com. Most of them were about the poor customer service and interaction when they need. This may leave Alton Towers a negative reputation and bad impression when someone looking for the information to plan their trip at Alton Towers. Also Alton Towers does not provide a service after use well enough to satisfy customers. A brand new marketing campaign is suggested for Alton Towers theme park to increase the company image after suffering the bad reputation from the last incident as well as to solve current marketing issues. The topic for the marketing campaign is a PHOTO CONTEST. It is all about sharing the pictures of the funniest moments in Alton Towers theme park and winning attractive prizes. The name of this campaign is Lets laugh and the hash tag is #letslaughatthemepark. 3.1 CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Attract more customers: Since the last accident in Alton tower theme park has caused a decrease in the number of visitors to the park, the company needs to fix this and get more people to here. Beside targeting families in group as usual, this campaign will widen the target customers to the young people with the age from 15 to 40, especially social networks users to take advantages from this big channel to customers. Raising Alton Towers image and brand through social network and modern techniques: By sharing picture taken at Alton tower theme park with the hash tag #letslaughatthemepark , participants will help the company to introduce the brand and image to their friends and other people. Alton towers theme park will become popular not only in the UK, but also outside of the country and this can attract foreigners to come and visit the park. Because it is hard for people in the local areas to visit Alton Tower theme park after the unexpected incident, the company need to spread the brand and image outside the area or even go internationally to make it better. Reducing the bad reputation from last incident: It is very hard to decrease the negative effects from that incident in a short time, but by carrying out a new campaign, Alton Towers theme park will have a chance to introduce the new and more advanced products, services and techniques to everyone. Gradually customers may accept it and continue to visit Alton Towers theme park and take part in the photo contest with attractive prizes. 3.2 HOW TO TAKE PART IN AND WIN PRIZES To take part in the Lets laugh photo contest, the contestants need to follow these rules to keep the contest clear and fair to everyone: Entry method: Participants have to send their pictures taken at Alton Towers theme park to the official mail of Alton Towers with their information. The photos will be uploaded everyday and kept in a daily album on Alton Towers theme park Facebook fan page weekly. There will be 3 chosen photos each week based on the likes and shares. Then there will be an announcement about the winners and their prizes. Rules: Every contestant needs to take at least one picture at the gate of Alton Towers theme park as a proof for their appearance on that day. This photo will be attached with others when the contestants send them to the official mail of Alton Towers. This weill keep the contest clear and fair to everyone. The contestants need to like and follow Alton Towers theme park Facebook fan page and check their photos after they are uploaded. Then they have to tag at least 5 friends to the photos with the hash tag #letslaughatthemepark and share them in public. Prizes: 1st:  £3000, Free for 2 people all activities at Alton Towers theme park in their next visit, Free 1 double room 3 days and 2 nights at Alton Towers resort in their next visit. 2nd:  £2000, Free 1 double room 2 days and 1 night at Alton Towers resort in their next visit. 3rd:  £1000, Free for 2 people all activities at Alton Towers theme park in their next visit. All other participants will get discount 50% all activities for one person at Alton Towers in their next visit. To carry out the campaign, the company needs to apply different ways to promote and attract attention from people. Banner and flyers: It is a traditional way but always useful to get people notice. E-mail and direct mail: Alton Towers will inform the photo contest to their previous customers by mailing them according to the information they provided when booking in the past. This not only helps to inform to the customers, but also makes the previous feel that they are treated well although they are not using the company service. It can fix the issue about poor customer service and service after use. Social media networks: This is the key way to reach to people in this campaign because of the importance of taking advantages from social networks. By advertising on social networks and the official website as well, Alton Towers can get a lot of attention and more followers when people want to looking for more information. Cooperation: Alton Towers can let food and beverage brands hire space to set their retailers in Alton Towers theme park with discount cost as long as these brand agree to promote the Lets laugh photo contest on their website or fan page. On the other hand, Alton Towers can set a partnership with local schools and universities to offer trips for a large amount of student with lower price than usual if these schools and universities let Alton Towers promote inside the campus. Furthermore, the company can invite celebrities come and perform in the theme park to attract more visitors. Last but not least, the company can cooperate with some charity organizations to offer free trips for orphan kids. This is a smart step to increase the company image and brand after suffering bad reputation from the last accident. Timeline: Because summer is a peak times for everyone to have a vacation, there are a lot of places for people to go beside Alton Towers theme park. This can limit the effectiveness the campaign so that winter will be a potential choice to set up the campaign. To be more specific, the campaign will be carried out in 1 month, from 1st December to 31th December which is in the Christmas Break. Measurement: By carrying out the campaign, Alton Towers theme park is open in at least 2 months in winter, which can get more customers in Christmas vacation. It is expected that Alton Towers theme park may collect  £20 million fees in this part of the year. More people will know about Alton Tower theme park with an increase of followers to 5 million expectedly. This means the company brand and image will become popular through social networks. Prizes:  £9 million Banners and flyers:  £1 million Online advertising:  £2 million Total:  £12 million   REFERENCES Peter Campbell. (2015). Alton Towers crash wipes  £100m from owners value as it looks set to lose millions in lost bookings http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-3109943/Alton-Towers-crash-wipes-100m-owner-s-value-looks-set-lose-millions-lost-bookings.html BBC News. (2016). Merlin see profits rise despite Alton Towers accident http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35657878 Health and Safety Executive. (2016). Alton Towers owners fined  £5million over Smiler crash http://press.hse.gov.uk/2016/alton-towers-owners-fined-over-smiler-crash/ Tripadvisor. (2013) https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g504148-d282438-r167005420-Alton_Towers_Hotel-Alton_Staffordshire_England.html Theme parks UK. Alton Towers Opening Times http://www.themeparks-uk.com/alton-towers-guide/opening-times Social media. (2016). Most Popular Social Networks in the UK https://social-media.co.uk/list-popular-social-networking-websites

Was The Enlightenment Really The Age of Reason? Essay -- Social Studie

â€Å"Reason does not work instinctively, but requires trial, practice, and instruction in order to gradually progress from one level of insight to another† Immanuel Kant. Kant’s opinion of reason is that it is a force, which is ever-evolving and constantly building on previous insights. The Enlightenment is a historical period referring to the intellectual movement that swept across Europe in the 18th century. To tackle this question, I will be looking at two texts. The essays, ‘An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment’ by Immanuel Kant, an 18th century philosopher, and ‘What is Enlightenment’ by Michel Foucault, a 20th century philosopher. The texts show that the Enlightenment was the age of reason because it allowed individuals to use reason in order to break free from the minority placed on their lives, the results of which are still influencing the world we live in today. Kant referred to the age in which he lived as an ‘age’ of enlightenment. He felt that human beings could often live in a state of â€Å"self-incurred minority.† This refers to the lack of courage in an individual, to use his own intellect (reason) without direction from someone else. The Oxford Dictionary defines reason as â€Å"the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic.† Although this is a modern definition of reason it is similar to the definition of reason in the Enlightenment era, where John Locke describes reason as â€Å"the discovery of the certainty or probability of such propositions or truths which the mind arrives at by deductions [inferences] made from such ideas which it has got by use of its natural faculties, viz. by sensation and reflection.† Kant states that having â€Å"a book that understands for me, a sp... ...d Reason, and their Distinct Provinces." Columbia University. http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/publications/Projects/digitexts/locke/understanding/chapter0418.html (accessed May 13, 2012). Camilleri, Kristian. Lecture 10: Thursday, March 29, 2012:Reason (MULT10016-Stream1) Sem1_2012. Podcast audio. Mp3, 55:01. Accessed March 29, 2012. http://content.lecture.unimelb.edu.au:8080/ess/echo/presentation/cc84f47f-47b9-4429-b55a-c24d3af7866f. Foucault, Michel. "Michel Foucault. What is Enlightenment?" MICHEL FOUCAULT, info. Pantheon Books. 1984. http://foucault.info/documents/whatIsEnlightenment/foucault.whatIsEnlightenment.en.html (accessed May 7, 2012). Oxford University Press. Reason. April 2010. http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reason?region=us (accessed May 13, 2012). Burns, William E. Science in the Enlightenment. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2003.

Drinking Water Shortage and Water Conservation Essay -- Drinking Water

Water is everywhere. Not only does water surround the continents but also we are mostly made up of water and also need it to survive. If we don’t have access to water it will significantly affect our health. The economy will be affected by the water and how expensive it will be. This will lead to the environmental effects, with farmers not having enough water to keep their farms going. A variety of authors demonstrate throughout their articles that water is a limited resource and that humans need to start taking action in every aspect of their lives. However, water conservation cannot be solved in one way. In order to address the issues of water conservation, we need to inform people, regulate businesses and protect resources across the globe. These practices in water conservation will help people in the followings ways: internationally, socially, educationally, economically and environmentally. We live in a modern world yet there are still people who die from poor sanitation across the nation. The lack of not having good sanitation system like toilets and sewage leads millions of people to die from diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera (Leslie 1). Since the world population is growing so rapidly, this will lead to worse sanitation then it will conclude with more people dying from the lack of clean water (Leslie 1). These people who die every year need to have access to clean water, and their country needs to start taking advantage of their water and not let people die because of unnecessary causes. There is so much more water that is held underground and Leslies states that â€Å"compared with the earth’s visible freshwater-in lakes, ponds, and rivers-the amount of water stored in underground aquifer is sixty times as large.† ... ... worries." The Economist 398 (Jan. 2011): 32. ProQuest. Corral-Verdugo, Victor, et al. "Residential Water Consumption, Motivation for Conserving Water and the Continuing Tragedy of the Commons." Environmental Management (2002): 527-535. ProQuest. Rosenberg, David M, Patrick McCully, and Catherine M Pringle. "Global-Scale Environmental Effects of Hydrological Alterations: Introduction ." Bioscience (Sept. 2000): n. pag. Research Library . "Water Waste." ICIS Chemical Business. N.p., 25 Aug. 2008. Leaders: The World's Most Valuable Stuff; Water. (2010, May). The Economist, 395(8683), 14-16. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power Hearing :The FY2012 Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Budgets[4]. (2011, March). Congressional Documents and Publications.

Barbie :: miscellaneous

Barbie Good afternoon everyone. I’m Dr. Nikolovski and I’m here to talk to you about the controversial Barbie. Barbie, recently turned 40, is perhaps the most debated about child’s toy in the world. She is sold in over 150 Countries and is known to almost every child and adult worldwide. According to creator Mattel, over 93% of all Australian girls aged between 3 and 10 own at least one Barbie each, and the typical American girl of the same age has on average 9. So what does this model of ‘supposed perfection’ have to do with real life you may ask? This successful toy whom is considered to promote an unhealthy lifestyle and image, is a role model of millions of girls around the world, including you daughters. Today I am here to put you any doubts you may have to rest and to promote Barbie as a good and inspiring toy for your children to be playing with. Barbie is one of the most enduring stars in the world. She’s loved, hated, tortured, adored and disemboweled by millions. But the argument still remains, that Barbie is a bad role model for young girls. While some agree yes, I definitely believe no! Barbie has been blamed for quite a few things. Eating disorders being one them, as a result of her â€Å"anorexia-inspired† body. However it must be noted that eating disorders are proven to be a mental disease, just as something like schizophrenia. How a doll, a toy, something for girls to play with is able to be responsible for such a disease is a question I’d be curious to hear answered. Especially as the girls whom play with Barbie are those aged between 3 and 10. Barbie has been around since March 1959, and I’m yet to hear about an eating disorder directly linked with her. I believe that Barbie is an inspiration to young girls in her multiple careers. Which over the years have included things from tennis player, presidential candidate, and paleontologist to an astronaut, which was back in 1964, before there were any women astronauts. This year’s new generation millennium Barbie of 2002 is set to head off to international High School in New York. Barbie’s instant success was not from her body or looks, but clearly from what came with her. It's clear now that her ultimate success is her transformation like qualities.

Plan to Improve Organizational Sturcture and Recapture Market Share Essay

Over the past few years, WordPlay Greetings has experienced a sharp decline in market share as well has extremely high turnover of sales staff. The first major challenge discussed was the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. The second issue highlighted in our discussion was that operations have been inefficient which also leads to decline of profitability. WordPlay Management was fearful that high turnover of sales staff was a major cause of inefficient operations and stressed the importance of addressing this issue. Technological advances are certainly an issue that every industry must consider when trying to keep with or beat competitors. Online options for the greeting card industry have greatly advanced over the past few years offering ways to send expressions electronically and even customize them with photos and voices without having to leave home. It is critical revive WordPlays website and make stores more appealing to visit with new product lines and customization options that will attract customers and keep them coming back and telling others. Hiring and retaining talented and caring staff is goes hand in hand with keeping up with technology. Knowledgeable and caring sales people are just as important as the product. Developing an organizational culture that inspires and motivates will help spark new creative designs and product offerings for WordPlay Greetings. Bryce & Dancetty has performed industry research, employee and market surveys, leading to job redesign, development of new marketing and product design teams, and improved organizational reward programs that aim at reducing turnover for WordPlay Greetings and getting them back on a path to profits. Introduction Bryce & Dancetty Consulting has been working with WordPlay Greetings over the past several months to analyze their business, develop plans to reduce sales staff turnover, revive its product line, improve its organizational culture, and implement new programs that will motivate employees and enrich jobs and career paths. In this report we will review the methods used to collect data and form plans for change. Causes of Business Downturn WordPlay Greetings market share has seen sharp declines over the past few years. Company leaders concluded that causes for this problem stemmed from the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. An additional contributor to their decline was believed to be high turnover with in their sales division. WordPlay leaders agreed to work with Bryce & Dancetty Consulting to look deeper in to these issues and how they could be resolved to help them regain market share and do better at hiring and retaining a highly skilled and motivated sales team. Bryce Dancetty Consulting employed the DECIDE Model which is based on statistical science to examine all aspects of the WordPlay business and its environment. The Decide Model allowed us to define the problem(s) and/or opportunities, along with objectives and constraints. Next, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action (controllable & uncontrollable) are enumerated (given numeric values). Then, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. The next step is to identify and select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. Then a detailed plan to develop and implement the alternative selected is created and put in to effect. Last, the outcome of the decision process itself is evaluated. We addressed issues by performing a market research and analysis that focuses on the following questions: †¢How can Word Play develop products that are exclusive, unique and will help recapture a higher market share? †¢Can store hours be adjusted based on traffic flow and peak sales times in order to reduce labor costs and increase profitability? Are there colleges in the area that may have marketing and/or design students that would be willing to intern and help bring new/fresh product designs to Word Play Greetings? Research was done and information was gathered via surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups that Bryce & Dancetty designed and assembled. Surveys and questionnaires provided a wealth of information quickly in a non-threatening manner. Most were completely anonymous and done at a very minimal cost. They were administered via mail as well as online. Feedback received via surveys concluded that Wordplay Greeting Cards current product line was being described as â€Å"stale† by former customers. This perception must be changed in order for the company to regain and increase its market share going forward. Focus Groups were utilized to explore topics related to operational efficiency, product design, marketing strategies, and common complaints regarding products to gain a more in-depth perspective on the best ways to increase market share and profitability. Focus groups yielded results that supported job redesign for the sales division, developing new product design and marketing teams, and creating an organizational culture that motivates and inspires. Sales Division and Sales Clerk Turnover Interviews of corporate employees as well as store staff were performed to better understand their impressions of the current state of the company, their experiences, and their ideas for improvement. From the information gathered, Bryce & Dancetty provided a revised job description which is attached in the appendix for review. In addition to revising the job description for sales clerks, Bryce &Dancetty made several recommendations that do not involve compensation adjustments that can also increase retention of sales staff for Wordplay Greetings. There is a significant need for WordPlay to increase feelings of participation within the organization. While allowing sales associates greater freedom in creating store displays, it is recommended that contests be incorporated to help motivate employees to put forth their best efforts. Allowing sales associates to take responsibility for deciding on how to put together displays is an example of vertically loading the job. Their autonomy increases and they feel more personal accountability for the outcome of their efforts (Hodgetts & Heger 2008, pg. 306). Involvement in new product selections through the creation of employee focus groups is also highly recommended. The focus groups will be allowed to participate on conference calls and in web training to assist with selection of new products that will be carried in the stores and also learn how these choices impact the company financially. This feeds an employee’s desire to learn and grow in their career, knowledge, and skill (Heathfield 2012). A recent McKinsey Quarterly survey underscores this type of opportunity. Respondents felt that the chance to lead projects or task forces were often more effective at motivating than financial increases (McKinsey Quarterly 2009). Another way to build a connection within an organization and increase the sense of belonging that employees feel is to create a company newsletter. Newsletters helps share what is happening on a higher level by sharing hot company news being discussed by executives, sharing status on company goals, and stock standings. When there are multiple locations, newsletters help to share what is happening elsewhere and are a great way to share creative ideas, contest winners, and announce new contests. Employee Profiles can be included to highlight accomplishments both inside and outside of the company. The newsletter is also a great way to share benefit information, deadlines, health tips, and volunteer opportunities. Lastly, increased communication between employees and local as well as corporate management will be a key to retention of sales staff. Well-designed jobs anticipate the need for communication. Most employees want to know what is expected of them in the job, how they are doing, how they can improve, what latitude they have in changing how they do their tasks, what should be discussed with a supervisor and when the discussion should occur. Employees rarely complain about too much communication with their supervisor. They often want more communication (Hodgetts & Heger 2008, pg. 306). The implementation of a regular newsletter as mentioned above will help with communication, however we are also strongly urging WordPlay Greeting Cards to provide a stronger line of communication via email that will allow employees to contact corporate offices more efficiently for feedback if they have concerns that are not being addressed at a local level and/or ideas that they want to share for improvement. Bryce & Dancetty Consulting is confident that the revision of the sales clerk job description which increases responsibility and sense of participation will not only attract more applicants but also encourage company loyalty and lead to retention of a high quality sales staff that can be promoted in to management positions as the business grows. Job Enrichment Job enrichment is a way to motivate employees by giving them increased responsibility and variety in their jobs. Our plans for job enrichment will focus on allowing employees to have more control in planning their work and deciding how the work should be accomplished. Job enrichment efforts will include adding and clarifying: Skill Variety – the number of different types of skills used to do a job. This is important because using only one skill to do the same task repeatedly can get very boring. When employees get bored productivity decreases over time. Task Identity – A matter of realizing a visible outcome from performing a task. Being able to see the end result of the work they do is an important motivator for employees. This can be accomplished through Job Enlargement. WordPlay will move towards this goal by adding more tasks and responsibilities to existing jobs. To illustrate this concept – a customer service representative will follow a client’s issue from start to finish (phone inquiry through problem resolution). Customer service reps will be given greater access and authority to make account/claim adjustments so that fewer inquiries need to be escalated. They will be able to take pride in knowing they solved a problem themselves and customer satisfaction is also sure to increase. Task Significance – How a job impacts others in the organization. If this is clearly defined, employees will make greater efforts to do their best.